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Appendix A
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Brief Overview of Civil Service Pay Arrangements in Five Selected Countries
(compiled by the consultant appointed by the Task Force) 


 

Australia

Canada

New Zealand

Singapore

United Kingdom

General

Observation

Commonly adopted pay policies, structures and systems

Is pay administration devolved -

 

 - for Civil Servants (see Note)?

Substantially devolved �V departments and agencies largely  determine own pay policies within guidelines

 

No �V pay policy remains largely centrally determined (this is currently under review)

Highly devolved �V departments and agencies largely  determine own pay policies within guidelines

Moderate devolution �Vsome local flexibility; central agencies remain influential

Highly devolved �V departments and agencies largely determine pay policies within guidelines

 

Devolvement of responsibility for pay management issues is a key thrust. Senior civil servants continue to be managed from a central point to facilitate mobility and pay control

 - for Senior Civil
   Servants?

No - determined centrally

No - determined centrally

No - determined centrally

No - determined centrally

No - determined centrally

Are Disciplined Services handled separately for pay purposes?

Customs & Excise and Immigration  treated similarly to other civil servants. Fire,

Correctional and most Police Services are outside core civil service

 

Immigration,  Police, Flying and Correctional Services are treated similarly to other civil servants. Fire and

Customs & Excise are outside core civil service

Customs & Excise, Immigration,  Police and Correctional Services are treated similarly to other civil servants. Fire Services are outside the core civil service

All Disciplined Service equivalents are treated broadly similar to other civil servants, although some specific arrangements apply

 

Customs & Excise and Immigration are treated similarly to other civil servants. Correctional Services have separate arrangements. Fire and  Police are outside core civil service. 

There is a wide span of arrangements for this group influenced by factors such as their legal ability to strike, need for independence, job demands & historical agreements

Are pay adjustments made by formal comparability with private sector pay?

 

No �V seen only as a guide to reflect market conditions

Yes - comparison by occupation

No �V seen only as a guide to reflect market conditions

Yes - competitiveness with the private sector for all jobs is seen as key to the recruitment and retention of high calibre staff

 

No �V seen only as a guide to support the principle of recruit, retain and motivate.

Most countries have reduced their emphasis on formal pay comparability with the private sector  with affordability considerations now taking precedence

Is ��ability to pay�� a primary factor for pay adjustment?

Yes

Yes

Yes 

Yes

Yes

Are educational/academic qualifications an important factor for internal relativity?

Only one of several factors

Only one of several factors

Only one of several factors

Yes

Only one of several factors

Broader job comparisons are increasingly  the norm

Have allowances been rationalised/consolidated/ simplified?

 

Yes �V most allowances have ended and/or consolidated into base pay

 

Yes �V most allowances have ended and/or consolidated into base pay

 

Yes �V most allowances have ended and/or consolidated into base pay

 

Yes �V most allowances have ended and/or consolidated into base pay

 

Yes �V most allowances have ended and/or consolidated into base pay

 

In all cases, use of allowances has been reduced to increase transparency and reduce admin costs

Experience of replacing fixed pay scales with pay ranges

 

Have automatic annual increments on a pay scale been replaced by more flexible pay ranges?

 

 

Yes �V most staff are now on a flexible pay range

 

Not for the majority of unionised staff, although a new scheme is currently being implemented.

Pay ranges have been introduced for senior (non-unionised) civil servants

 

Yes �V most staff are now on a flexible pay range

 

The majority of staff still receive an annual increment but pay ranges have been  established for senior civil servants

 

Yes (with limited exceptions eg the Correctional Services).

 

 

 

 

 

 

General trend towards flexible pay ranges, particularly for senior staff

 

 

Australia

Canada

New Zealand

Singapore

United Kingdom

General

Observation

 

Systems and mechanisms for pay adjustments

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Is a formal private sector comparison used to  work out pay adjustments?

 

No - but adjustments must be within an agreed financial budget

 

No �V but emphasis on comparability and must be within agreed budget

 

No - but adjustments must be within an agreed financial budget

 

Yes �V calculated as a comparator to private sector pay

 

No - but adjustments must be within an agreed financial budget

 

The trend is towards a less mechanistic way of determining pay increases which allows agencies to address their individual  needs, whilst operating within a broad centrally determined framework

 

What is the main role of central agencies in pay determination?

- to agree or to set
  budgets for pay

  increases?

 

 

Agree overall financial budgets

 

Strong central role in both budgets and detailed pay adjustments

 

 

Agree overall financial budgets

 

 

Determine overall financial budgets

 

 

Agree overall financial budgets

 - to provide advice and
   guidance or to set
  broader pay policy
  issues?

 

To provide advice and guidance

To set direction and determine broader pay policies

To provide advice and guidance and set parameters

To set direction and determine broader pay policies

To provide advice and guidance and agree negotiating parameters

 

Experience of introducing performance-based rewards

 

Is there widespread use of performance related pay (PRP)?

 

Yes �V most staff have some form of PRP

Minimal �V for a small number of senior civil servants up to 20% of pay may be ��at risk��

Yes �V most staff are eligible for some form of PRP

Increasing - linked to  performance of the individual and the economy as a whole

Yes �V most staff are eligible for some form of PRP

PRP is now widely used, particularly for senior staff

 

Are performance awards consolidated into base pay?

 

Yes for some staff

Yes, for some staff

Yes, increasingly for most staff

Yes for some staff

Yes for most staff

 

Is it paid as a one-off (non-consolidated) bonus?

 

Yes for some staff

Limited to senior civil servants

Yes for some staff

Yes for some staff

Use of bonuses limited to exceptional circumstances

 

Are there team-based performance rewards?

Some use �V typically paid on completion of a project

 

Very limited

Very limited �V bonuses typically paid on completion of project

Very limited

Limited �V still seen as experimental.

Whilst the broad principle is generally embraced there have yet to emerge significant numbers of successful examples

 

Has a robust performance management framework been developed?

Most forms of appraisal are used and increasingly 360 degree assessment. Skills development is ongoing.

Traditional approach to appraisal for most staff with lack of consistent standards

Well established systems and high skills level - self appraisal and 360 degree assessment are common. Reports are structured around competencies.

Traditional but rigorous system. Recent emphasis on development of balanced scorecard approach

Most forms of appraisal are used and increasingly 360 degree assessment. Skills development ongoing.

A key component to support performance related pay but requires significant education  and skills development to engineer behavioural change

 

Experience of simplifying and decentralising pay and grading administration

 

Have there been moves to establish flatter, less hierarchical structures through simplification of pay and grading systems?

Yes -  only 11 grades in the Australian Public Service

This is on-going. The current system is highly complex with 72 occupation groups, 105 sub groups and 840 separate levels

Yes �Vmost Departments and Agencies have independently introduced flatter and more flexible structures with fewer ranks/bands

Some simplification in recent years, particularly amalgamation of pay bands at senior levels

 

Yes �V most Departments and Agencies have independently introduced flatter and more flexible structures with fewer ranks/bands

In all cases there is a drive towards less complex pay and grading systems aimed at increasing flexibility at the department/agency level

 

Is a formal job evaluation system used?

Yes, to some degree.  Each group of duties is classified according to its work value requirements

Yes, an off-the-shelf system is used for executives. For other positions,  whole job comparison is used and grouped by occupations

Yes, either a position-based comparative job survey is used or an off- the-shelf system where there is no comparator role.

Yes, to some degree

Yes �V a civil service wide grading system is in operation

The trend is towards broad, generic occupational groupings and a move away from narrowly defined job descriptions

 

 Note: the definition of civil servants may vary from one country to another.

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